Hannah Bagnell’s steady play leads to 13-shot victory in Desert Empire League girls’ golf

When the Desert Empire League girls’ golf finals took place at the Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, everyone expected a close battle between Hannah Bagnell of Xavier Prep and Joanna Crist of La Quinta. These two players had dominated the league throughout the season, with Bagnell holding the top position and Crist coming in second.

However, the outcome of the finals surprised many. Bagnell produced a consistent performance over the final 18 holes, while Crist struggled on a particular hole that made a significant impact on the final standings. This resulted in Bagnell securing a remarkable 13-shot victory over Crist. Bagnell, a talented freshman golfer, followed in the footsteps of Crist, who won the league title the previous year.

Crist reflected on her game, particularly one disastrous hole that cost her a significant number of strokes. On the par-4 12th hole, Crist hit three shots into the lake on the right side of the fairway, leading to a score of 10. This, combined with Bagnell’s steady play and par on the same hole, extended Bagnell’s lead from four shots to ten, essentially sealing her victory.

Bagnell had started the day with a six-shot lead over Crist, and it seemed like Crist might close the gap with her strong performance on the front nine, shooting 1-under 35 compared to Bagnell’s 39. However, it was Bagnell’s exceptional play over the next few holes, including a birdie on the par-3 11th hole, that ultimately made the difference.

Despite the setback, Crist acknowledged Bagnell’s skill and deserved victory. Both players will now move on to the CIF-SS individual preliminaries, representing the Desert Empire League, along with Liya Kakar and Belle Fuentez from league champion Palm Desert.

More: Freshmen steal the show as Palm Desert girls golf team beats Xavier Prep

In addition to Bagnell and Crist, two players from Palm Desert, Liya Kakar and Belle Fuentez, will also participate in the CIF-SS individual preliminaries. Kakar, who played in the final threesome alongside Bagnell and Crist, was the only player besides Bagnell to shoot below 80 on the final day. Fuentez had an impressive comeback from a previous score of 91, shooting 85 to secure her spot in the postseason for the first time.

The four representatives from the Desert Empire League will compete in the preliminaries at Bear Valley Country Club in Victorville. Only the top 24 players from the event will advance to the CIF-SS individual finals.

DEL girls’ golf results

Final scores of the Desert Empire League girls golf finals

Hannah Bagnell (Xavier)  72-76 – 148

Joanna Crist (La Quinta)  78-83 – 161

Liya Kakar (Palm Desert)  87-78 – 165

Bella Fuentez (Palm Desert) 91-85 – 176

Reference